SUMMARY: In Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird, World War II is raging throughout Eastern Europe. A young boy is abandoned by his parents and is left in a foster-home. When his foster mother dies, unexpectadly, he is forced to wander from village to village seeking shelter where he can find it. Because he has black hair and black eyes, the villagers often believe he is a Gypsy or a Jew; he is then either driven away, or beaten and tortured. More often than not, they (the villagers) will attempt to murder him or turn him over to the germans. However, sometimes he is taken in and either taught or sheltered in exchange for food. From his wanderings, he observes the hardships of the Slavics during the war. He witnesses people being murdered by one another and by the soldiers, and he also witnesses women being raped, and people being tortured. On numerous occasions he is almost killed, himself. He is later saved by the Soviet army and taken to thier camp where he is sheltered untill he is put into an orphanage. He stays there for a while untill his parents finally rescue him. He is hesitant to return to them at first, but then he welcomes them back into his life and is reunited at last.
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REVIEW: I love to read. I have read plenty of books in my lifetime, but i must admit that I have never read a book quite as brilliant yet horrifying as this one. Don't get me wrong; this book is amazing, one of the best i have read. however, I have to say that I was not fully prepared for the vivid images which are denoted in this book. Jerzy Kosinski makes wonderful use of his knowledge of his homeland to produce a work of art. This book is fiction, of course, but it is so carefully kept within the boundaries of reality that it makes a very powerful impact on the mind. New York Times Review called this book "One of the best." and they were right. I would totally recomend this book to other readers. The Painted Bird is truely outstanding.
The Painted Bird
by: Jerzy Kosinski
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SUMMARY: In Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird, World War II is raging throughout Eastern Europe. A young boy is abandoned by his parents and is left in a foster-home. When his foster mother dies, unexpectadly, he is forced to wander from village to village seeking shelter where he can find it. Because he has black hair and black eyes, the villagers often believe he is a Gypsy or a Jew; he is then either driven away, or beaten and tortured. More often than not, they (the villagers) will attempt to murder him or turn him over to the germans. However, sometimes he is taken in and either taught or sheltered in exchange for food. From his wanderings, he observes the hardships of the Slavics during the war. He witnesses people being murdered by one another and by the soldiers, and he also witnesses women being raped, and people being tortured. On numerous occasions he is almost killed, himself. He is later saved by the Soviet army and taken to thier camp where he is sheltered untill he is put into an orphanage. He stays there for a while untill his parents finally rescue him. He is hesitant to return to them at first, but then he welcomes them back into his life and is reunited at last.
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REVIEW: I love to read. I have read plenty of books in my lifetime, but i must admit that I have never read a book quite as brilliant yet horrifying as this one. Don't get me wrong; this book is amazing, one of the best i have read. however, I have to say that I was not fully prepared for the vivid images which are denoted in this book. Jerzy Kosinski makes wonderful use of his knowledge of his homeland to produce a work of art. This book is fiction, of course, but it is so carefully kept within the boundaries of reality that it makes a very powerful impact on the mind. New York Times Review called this book "One of the best." and they were right. I would totally recomend this book to other readers. The Painted Bird is truely outstanding.